Automatic sprinkler-closer.



PATENTED FEB. 5, 1907.

G. BODEN.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1,1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

fig 3.

G. BODEN.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER CLOSER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1,1904.

PATENTED FEB. 5, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fig .9.

UNITED STATES Pn ENT EEICE.

GEORGE BODEN, or WATERTOWN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO JULIUS H. BRONSON, o wATERBUR-Y, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER-CLOSER.

Patented Feb. 5, 1907.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE BODEN, of

Watertown, in the county of Litchfield and.

State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Sprinkler-Closers; and I do hereby declare the iollowing specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawin 's, forming a part of the same, to be a full, c ear, and exact description thereof.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for temporarily closing an automatic sprinkler after it has operated and extinguished the fire in order to prevent the damage that might result from the continued and unnecessary flow of the water from such sprinkler.

The invention consists in the means hereinafter described and claimed for accomplishing that object.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of, the sprinkler-closer. Fig. 2 is a corresponding view showing the device in place in a sprinkler and closing the outlet thereof. Fig. 3 is a section on the line a; m, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view, Fig. 5 a side view, and Fig. 6 an end view, of a modi fied Construction. Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10 are views showing means for locating and operatin the device.

in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3 the sprinkler-closer, whioh'may be of wood or other suitable material, comprises two wedgeshapedmembers a 0., arranged to slide one with relation to the other.

The member a, isshown as provided with a handle a and with a dovetail projection b, constructed to slide in a correspondinglyshaped groove 6, formed in the member a. A pin 0, projecting from the under side of the member a and arranged to enter a groove 0, formedin the member 0/, serves to limit the relative movement of the two members. A

iece of leather (1 is preferably secured to the ace of the member a to constitute a valve. The member a is preferably provided with two oppositely-projecting pins e e to serve as stops to properly locate the device in the sprinkler and also to prevent the further movement of the member a when once located.

' The mode of using this device is as follows:

' saidmembersor to from falling out ofp ace.

The device with the parts in the position shown in Fig. '1 is insertedfwithin the frame of the sprinkler until the pins 6 e bring up against said frame, which will locate the valve 11 in line with the outlet of the sprinkler. By striking the end of. the handlea with a hammer or other suitable implement the member a will be driven along the member a, which will be held against movement by the engagement of the pins e e with the frame of the sprinkler, and by reason of the opposing wedge-shaped facesof the members or,v a the valve (1 will be forced to its seat against the outlet of the sprinkler and so as to effectually close the same.

In the construction shown in Figs. 4 to 6 the two members a (1 instead of being provided with wedged-shaped contacting faces and constructed to have a longitudinal movement with relation to each other are constructed to have a third member a inserted between them, said third member being wedge-shaped and adapted to force the two members a, a apart. Each of the members a, a is provided with a groove, refer ably rectangular in cross-section, an with the bottom of the groove inclined, and the third member a is constructed to enter said grooves, the op osite faces of said member a bein inclined or wedge-shaped to cooperate wit the inclined bottoms of said grooves, as shown. Side ieces or guides ff are secured to the mem er a by a in or pivotf, and a second pin f 3 extends t rough atransverse slotf formed in the member a, and is secured in the ends of the guidesff. Atrans. verse pin g, extending through the member a and through a slot g in the third member a serves .to limit the relative movement of revent the member a Pins e e roject from'the member a on opposite sides t ereof, which serve to locate the device in thes rinkler and also to hold the members a a; om movin with the third member a when the latter 1s driven between them. Preferably striking theend of the member a. with a hammer or other suitable implement said member aas driven'between the members a. a, so as to force said members apart and "force the valve d. against its seat to close the I i. connection Wlth the form of device shown in Figs. 1 to 3. In this case the handle a is omitted and the staff :7: is securedto the member a, preferably at right angles thereto. It is preferred to provide the device with-a hammer or striker secured thereto and which will thus be always at hand whenwanted.

The hammer or striker 1 consists of a block 2c.

the free end of a flat spring m of suitable of metal or other suitable material secured to shape, the o posite end ofs'aid spring bein cured to the member a and the hammer or secured to t e staff k. A cord nis attache to the hammer l or the spring m. I

W hen the closingdevice has been inserted in place in the sprinkler, the valve cl may be forced to its seat by pulling u on the cord 71- and releasing the same, whic will serve to cause the hammer or striker Z under the action of the spring m to strike a blow upon the end of the staff or the member a and so.as to impart the necessary movement thereto relative to the member a. The operation of pulling and releasing the cord may be re-, peated as often as may be found necessary to securely force the valve of the closing device to its seat.

" In Figs. 9 and 10 the staff is shown in connection with the form of 'device shown in Figs.- 4 .to 6. In this case the staff k is sestriker l is arranged to strikethe end of'the' wedge-shaped member (L The operation of the hammer by pulling and releasing the cord nis the same as before.

If desired, the piece of leather to serve as a vice, the staff being rabbeted at its upper end with one member of the closing device fitted in said rabbet.

Any suitable means of securing the staff to the sprinkler-closer may be em loyed and, if desired, the staff may be detac ably secured thereto.

What claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' 1. The combination of a sprinkler-closer, a

staff for inserting said closer in place in a sprinkler, and a hammer or striker for operatmg said closer to close the outlet of the sprinkler, substantially as describedi .2. The combinationof a sprinkler-closer comprising a member adapted to act as, a valve, and a wedge-shaped member for forcing said'valve to its seat, a'staff for inserting said closer in place in a sprinkler, and a hammember, and a cord for operating said hammer, substantially as described.

close the outlet of a sprinkler,said member being provided with means to locate the 4. An automatic sprinkler-closer coinprismg a member adapted to act as a valve to same with relation'to said outlet, and a wedge-shaped member for forcing said valve to its seat, substantially as described.

5. An automatic s' rinkler-closer compris ing a member provi ed witha valve to close the outlet of a sprinkler,'said member being provided with means to locate said valve with relation to said 0utlet,'and a wedgeshaped member for forcing said valve to 1ts seat, substantially as described. 6. An

close the outlet of a sprinkler, and a wedgeshaped member for forcing said valve to its seat, said valve member being provided with means to engage the frame of the sprinkler to prevent the movement of said valve member under the action of said wedge-shaped member, substantially as described.

7. An automatic sprinkler-closer comprising a member adapted to act as a valve to close the outlet of a sprinkler, and a wedgeshaped member for forcing said valve to 1ts seat, said valve member being provided with means to engage the frame of the sprinkler to locate the same with relation to said outlet and to prevent the movement of said valve member under the action of said wedgeshaped member, substantially as described.

GEORGE, BODEN.

I Witnesses:

O. E. DAVIS, C. B. BUCKINGHAM automatic sprinkler-closer comprismg a member "adapted to act as a valve to IIC 

